10 Richest Private Island Owners

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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich spent $400 million on buying New Holland Island, a collapsing ex-military base in a St. Petersburg canal. He intends to transform the island into a cultural center. The bid to run the island was won by Abramovich and is the latest of Abramovich's lavish spending sprees. The newly formed company will now invite architects to bid for the contract to transform the 18-acre island, which will take about six years to complete. New Holland island was created in the 18th century through the construction of two canals and gains it name from its resemblance to areas of Amsterdam. Bornrich.com 

  10 Richest Private Island Owners -- The Richest 

There’s nothing like owning an island to tell the world you’ve made it – that you are, in fact, wildly successful. Owning an island used to be more mysterious and less publicised than it is nowadays. Billionaires have always been secretly running off and buying remote pieces of property for their own delights, but then Hollywood got on the bandwagon and now almost every star owns a private getaway somewhere. Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp are just a few well known island owners, and although they didn’t make the list of richest islands, they sure make owning an island look cool, and have contributed to the popularity of the island as a status symbol.

We might all dream about what we’d do with our very own private annex; would we open it up to world, make it a party spot, or keep it a well-preserved secret tucked away from the world? Have a look at what these 10 wealthy people did with theirs; we’ve ranked them by the huge costs of their islands, which typically correlates with huge net worths.

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My Comment: It is all about location .... and this location (New Holland Island) is in one of the best spots in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Update: Here is another great list of islands.

Bel Air's Very Own Palace Of Versailles Sells For $102 Million

The 50,000-square-foot residence was sold by socialite Suzanne Saperstein, who had the mansion custom built in 2002 with her then husband, Texan billionaire David Saperstein 

  The Unsellable Estate Finally Finds A Buyer! Bel Air's Very Own Palace Of Versailles Sells For $102 MILLION After Seven Years On The Market... And The New Owner Is A 'Mystery French Bbillionaire' -- Daily Mail 

 * The Fleur de Lys estate in Bel Air has become the most expensive home ever sold in LA
 * Seven years after it was first put on the market - and with the asking price reduced by $23 million - the property has been sold to a 'highly secretive French billionaire'
 * The 50,000-sq-ft mansion was custom built in 2002 by socialite Suzanne Saperstein and her then husband, Texan billionaire David Saperstein
 * As well as 12 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, the mansion contains a 50-seat, satin-lined private cinema, a two-storey wood-paneled library stocked with first-edition books and garage parking for nine cars

After years on and off the market, the ‘unsellable’ Fleur de Lys estate in L.A. has finally found a buyer and at $102 million has become the most expensive home ever sold in Los Angeles County.

Three billionaires reportedly engaged in a bidding war for the nearly five-acre trophy estate, the winner closing in 10 days in an all-cash deal that included antique furnishings.

The 50,000-square-foot residence was sold by socialite Suzanne Saperstein, who had the mansion custom built in 2002 with her then husband, Texan billionaire David Saperstein.

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My Comment: What caught my eye in this story is the reason for the divorce and the sale of this property .... the ex-husband running away with the young nanny.

Billy Joel's Beach House In The Hamptons Is Up For Sale

Billy Joel Can't Sell His $23 Million Beach House In The Hamptons -- Business Insider 

Billy Joel is having an impossible time selling his beautiful Hamptons home.

The Piano Man just reduced the price on it from $23.5 million to a mere $22.9 million, Curbed reports.

This isn't the first time Joel's Sagaponack house has been on the market.

In 2009, the price was cut from $22.9 million to $16.75 million before it was relisted.

The home resurfaced again last November.

The house includes a beachfront view, piano room, and a separate studio situated in the fifth most expensive zip code in the country.

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My Comment: I love the sand and view .... but $23 million!!!!!

Matt Damon's Miami Waterfront Home

(Source: Getty Images and TheJills.com from Coldwell Banker) 

Editor: This collection of pictures is from Lonny. For a sneak peak into the sprawling home of one of America's leading men .... the photo gallery starts here.

Rihanna's L.A. Home Is Up For Sale

Carrillo/CelebrityHomePhotos.com 

  Rihanna Puts Los Angeles House On Market For $15 Million -- New York Daily News 

The 'Diamonds' singer put her pad up for sale after owning it or just over a year. An incident with a stalker may have contributed to the quick turnaround. 

Rihanna is moving on up out of her Pacific Palisades mansion.

The "Diamonds" singer, 26, has put her Los Angeles home on the market for $14.9995 million, Trulia reports.

Rihanna moved into the sprawling 11,000 square foot pad in December 2012, but a relentless world tour to support her album "Unapologetic" kept her away from the place most of the time.

Rihanna was likely also put off by an incident in March 2013 in which stalker Steveland Barrow broke into a house nearby hoping to hunt down the songstress.

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My Comment: This home is right by a main street .... she probably felt that she did not have any privacy.

Ivana Trump Lists Her Palm Beach Mansion For $19 Million

Massive size: The home is 14,406 square feet and comes with nine bedrooms and 13 bathrooms 

  Ivana Live There! Ex-Mrs Trump Lists Her Palm Beach Mansion Complete With 13 Bathrooms, A Lotus-Shaped Pool And An Underground Tunnel To The Beach - Yours For A Cool $19m -- Daily Mail 

Ivana Trump has put her Palm Beach mansion on the market for $18.9 million.

The 65-year-old socialite’s ‘Concha Marina’ overlooks the ocean and clocks in at a total 14,406-square-feet, reports Top Real Estate Deals.

The residence comes with an underground tunnel that leads to the beach, nine bedrooms, and a total of 13 bathrooms.

There is also a separate apartment built over the home's four-car garage.

Ms Trump says that she is vacating the home, which has been her primary residence for the last 20 years, because her three children have grow up and she feels that it is time to downsize.

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My Comment: A Trump willingly downsizing !?!?! .... I am sceptical.

Al Capone's Miami Beach Mansion On The Market ((Again)

The mansion was built in 1922, and Capone bought it in 1928 for $40,000. Reuters/One Sotheby's International Realty 

Gangster’s Paradise: Al Capone's Miami Beach Mansion On The Market For Nearly $8.5 Million -- New York Daily News 

Chicago mobster Al Capone bought the 10,000-square-foot waterfront palace in 1928. ‘People love the fact that it's part of Miami history,’ the realtor said.

One of Miami Beach's most notorious pieces of real estate is back on the block: the asking price is almost $8.5 million. The sprawling, waterfront compound is where notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone died after being released from Alcatraz and is said to have plotted the St. Valentine's day massacre in 1929.

The 10,000-square-foot baby blue mansion sits on exclusive Palm Island, sandwiched in Biscayne Bay between downtown Miami's skyscrapers and South Beach's hotel district.

The current owner, a Florida company managed by New York accountant Anthony Panebianco, purchased the home barely six months ago for $7.4 million, according to Miami-Dade property records.

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My Comment: A lot of history in this place.

Britain’s Most Expensive Plot Goes On Sale For £30m

The plot of land, the boundary of which is highlighted above, is on the market for £30million making it the most expensive plot on sale in Britain 

 Field Of Dreams: Britain’s Most Expensive Plot Goes On Sale For £30m For 77-Acres With Planning Permission For TEN Bedroom Mansion (Boosting Site Value To £100million) -- Daily Mail 

 * Parkwood Estate, set deep in the heart of the Surrey countryside, includes a picturesque lake and formal gardens
 * Planning permission already granted for would-be owner to build £15million mansion with indoor swimming pool
 * Once completed, it is estimated the estate will be worth £100million netting the new owner a profit of £50million
 * Neighbours of the extensive site, which is only 23 miles from London, include The Queen and Elton John 

A 77-acre plot of land deemed the most expensive field in Britain has been put on the market – for a staggering £30million.

The patch of land, nestled in the heart of the countryside, is set to become the foundations of a 33,000 sq. ft ten-bedroom mansion which will come complete with an indoor swimming pool and spa.

It is thought the estate, situated near Windsor Great Park, will be worth £100million once completed – making it the most expensive private home outside of London and potentially netting the owner a £50million profit.

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My Comment: I like the architect/artist's concept for the home.

Fancy Your Own Greek Island?

Clear blue water: Any buyer would have miles of uninterrupted views across the Aegean Sea to the Greek mainland 

Fancy Your Own Greek Island? Mystery Seller Puts One The Size Of 50 Football Pitches On The Market For £29m And It Doesn't Even Come With A House -- Daily Mail 

 * Greek capital of Athens is only a 30 minute speedboat trip away and the only access to the island is via boat
 * Island in the Aegean Sea is 86.5 acres in size and boasts dozens of stunning beaches
 * Isolated island does not have a single building on it, except for jetties and access points

This could be the perfect gift for the billionaire who has almost everything.

A mystery seller has put an idyllic and isolated Greek island in Khora on the market for £29million, but it does not even come with a house.

However, the astonishing collection of islets, inlets and bays surrounding the larger island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of the Greek mainland are all included in the price.

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My Comment: 29 million pounds to buy the island .... and probably double that for home and utilities.